Key Issue Geography
To what extent is the global South an area of similarity or diversity?
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1987: Brandt report published, describes countries below the line as the global South
But many successive and cumulative changes since then:
Development of the new international division of labour
Emergence of some countries
Creation of trade-blocs in the South...
Changed the reality of this so-called global South: to what extent is it still an area of similarity?
I.
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Emergence of extremes from original similarity
Economy: originally poor
Wealth: Saudi Arabia’s GDP is $440bn just below Sweden; Kuwait GDP of $130M; Angola GDP of $90M
Trade: Shanghai is the busiest port in the world with 590mt moved in 2009, China 1st economy in the world since 2014
Development: originally low (HDI lower than 0.8)
HDI: South Korea is 0.891 higher than France 0.884
Life expectancy: 63 in Ethiopia, 80 in South Korea
Education: Georgia has the highest literacy rate in the world, Mali lowest 26,2
Income: 13,000$Int (dollar international) GDP per capita in PPP in Algeria, 2,700 in Kenya
Demography: originally rapidly increasing (stage 2-3)
Birth rate: Korea lowest birth rate in the world 1.2; Angola highest 7
II.
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Subdivisions: similarity in diversity
Manufacturing countries, emerging countries
China
Resources, OPEC
Trade blocs, MERCOSUR (or UNASUR?)
Culture: experience of colonisation, US influence, common language (Spanish and Portuguese)
Objective: greater integration from economic to political, modelled by the EU
Geography, Sub-Saharan Africa
Artificial groupings, BRIICS, MIKT
BRICS Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa; MIKT Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey: similar economic potential,
grouping elaborated by the bank Goldman Sachs for portfolio investors
III.
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The global South, by opposition to the Global North
Political domination:
Comparative stability while the South is subject to great turmoil (war, conflict, poverty, anarchy, tyranny)
Permanent seats at the UN; greater weight at the IMF, World Bank, WTO
Technological domination: 80% of FDI and TRIAD represents 85% of world research
Economic domination:
Wealth: 20% richest live in North, control 85% of the wealth, 20% poorest in the South
Trade: Triad represents 80% of world trade
Cultural domination:
Urban life: own all of the world’s global cities, except Johannesburg in Africa
Consumption: owns 75% of the first 500 TNCs
Conclusion:
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The global South as described in the 1987 Brandt report is no longer relevant: South comprises the two extremes in
economy, demography and development
But, still possible to find sub-divisions within the South between country groupings following various criteria (economic
growth rate, resources, economic agreements, geography, investment)
Plus, South can still be identified by opposition to the North, through forms of domination: political, technological,
economic and cultural
So in conclusion, today the South is a juxtaposition of areas of similarity, creating an inner diversity that fades in the
face of the outer North